The designated value, when used with a mode of transport key, indicates that a route has been specially designated (typically by a government) for use by a particular mode (or modes) of transport. Typically it is used on ways legally dedicated to specific modes of travel by a law or by the rules of traffic. The specific meaning varies according to jurisdiction. It may imply extra usage rights for the given mode of transport.

The value designated is not meant to imply that OpenStreetMap access=* permissions have been automatically "designated" only to that transport mode! If an element is meant only to be used by specific designated transport methods (overriding whatever defaults may exist for that way), use access=no in addition of the *=designated value. See Transport Mode Restrictions using "access" for further clarification; access=* is the top level of a transport mode hierarchy of restrictions.

designated ways are intended to be usable for the designated purpose(s). If real world usability does not match designation the ways should be still tagged as designated with additional tags such as for example smoothness=horrible to describe the real world (un)usability.

Examples

Snowmobile route: All village streets

Some places have designated snowmobile routes everywhere

The trail marked with the sign shown in the example picture (top right):